A coupler is typically used to connect a component to a receiving device, for example to connect an ink cartridge to a printer. When the component is connected to the receiving device, a material in the component comes in contact with a material in the receiving device. When an incorrect component is connected to the receiving device, the materials in both the component and the receiving device may become contaminated.
One or more mechanical methods may be used to attempt to prevent an incorrect component from being connected to a receiving device. In one method, the component and receiving device may be keyed, so that only a specific type of component may be connected to a receiving device. In another method, components and receiving devices may be fabricated of different sizes and shapes so that only a specific size and shape of component may be connected to the receiving device. In a third method, the component may include an electronic tag, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. Using the third method, a connection is permitted only when the RFID tag is identified as a correct tag by a RFID reader in the receiving device.
Limitations may be associated with each of these methods. The mechanical methods typically increase a company's costs because of the plurality of components, for example cartridges, that may be required and because of an overhead associated with managing the components. The electronic method may provide an indication that an incorrect component is being used; however the electronic method does not prevent the incorrect component from being inserted into the receiving device.